


Sing Me to Sleep (the stubborn bastards remix)

by Lady_Ganesh



Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: M/M, Remix, Slice of Life, crisis management
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-19
Updated: 2012-04-19
Packaged: 2017-11-03 22:56:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/386909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Ganesh/pseuds/Lady_Ganesh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Someone has to save Bones from himself. Might as well be Jim.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sing Me to Sleep (the stubborn bastards remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [saekhwa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saekhwa/gifts).
  * Inspired by [In the Sleeping Curves](https://archiveofourown.org/works/311786) by [lady_krysis (saekhwa)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saekhwa/pseuds/lady_krysis). 



> Thank you to my beta Beatrice Otter, who worked on very short notice!

Chapel's voice was steady, but he could hear the tension behind it, and she wasn't the type for insubordination. Not unless it was urgent. "Captain," she said. "I know I'm out of line, but--"

"No, no," he said. "You were right to come to me. I'll be there in a minute. Kirk out."

Life on the _Enterprise_ was never dull, but Kirk would be happy without this level of excitement. When a fire in Engineering that put half of Scotty's crew out of commission was the least of your problems, you were having a bad day. That whole _seek out new life_ thing never really prepared you for the new life that was actively trying to kill you. And despite the fact that Jim Kirk had the best crew in the Federation, in the end they were only human. Well, 'human' wasn't the right word, but 'mortal' was, and according to Chapel, Bones was reaching the limit of his very human endurance.

"Spock," he said. "You have command. We need to start getting some rest, or we'll all be useless."

Spock nodded in agreement. "Should I make arrangements to rouse you?"

"I'll take care of it, thanks. I'd appreciate it if you start adjusting the shift rotations. We need to face the facts; this is a long-term crisis."

"It is the sensible course of action, Captain," Spock said. It was pretty much as close to praise as Spock got, so Kirk counted it as a win.

His adrenalin started wearing off as he walked to Sickbay. By the time he got there, he felt as exhausted as Bones looked.

His chief medical officer was sitting at his desk, looking like he hadn't slept in a decade. "Shut up, Jim," he muttered, before Kirk even had a chance to speak. He pressed the heels of his palms to his eye sockets.

Kirk dug the flask of bourbon out of Bones' desk and filled a tumbler, pressing it into Bones' hand as the man reached for the drawer. He watched as Bones took a sip, and then almost fell asleep with the glass to his forehead. "You're the most stubborn man I know," he said. Sometimes he understood that ex-wife Bones never talked about a little too well. He curled his hand around Bones' wrist before he could drop the glass. "You need to sleep," he said.

"I don't have time for that—"

Jim kept his voice as reasonable as he could. "You aren't any good to me if you're falling over like this."

"It's not gonna happen," Bones muttered.

Jim ignored him and tugged him to his feet. Bones grabbed the glass and gulped down the rest of the bourbon before Jim could drag him out of sickbay. Jim sighed, but at least Bones was moving in the right direction.

He half-walked, half-dragged Bones to his quarters, and McCoy smiled at him, half-drunk with sleep. "Going to put me to sleep with a bedtime story, Jim?"

"It's not your fault," Jim said, because it wasn't.

Bones dropped on the bed and put his face back in his hands. Jim winced and got him another drink. He hated to see anyone like this, Bones least of all. At least Spock had arrogance to carry him through his moments of crisis. Bones just got lost. Jim rubbed his back until Bones thought about moving again, and then he just held Bones in place, his hands flat on Bones' shoulders. "When was the last time you slept?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Bones rejoined.

 _We need to start getting some rest, or we'll all be useless. Time to take your own advice, Captain._ "We're going to sleep," he said. "We're both going to get some rest." He curled his arms around Bones' shoulders, hoping that his body would at least provide some comfort.

"Greene's burns have the potential of getting infected and Lt. Kaplan's lacerations from fighting off whatever-the-hell-it was aren't going to magically heal themselves." Bones tried to shove him away, but Kirk pulled him closer. "We still don't even know what caused the wound; there could be further cellular damage, or--"

"It's just a little nap, Bones. Just for a few hours." For a moment, Kirk wished he had a Vulcan's mental powers; he could get Bones to understand then, easily, just by showing him the worry in Chapel's eyes. "Your team has this. You know they do."

"My head won't stop, Jim," Bones said.

Jim pressed his lips against Bones' ear. "Chapel's got it. Your staff has it. Sleep."

Bones sighed; the deep, long-suffering sigh he used on Kirk sometimes to get what he wanted. _Not this time,_ Kirk thought, and pulled him carefully down on the bed.

"Shh," he said, and Bones muttered some kind of protest, but he was already half-asleep and sinking fast.

 _At least I've done one thing right today,_ Kirk thought, and kicked off his boots.

"Always think you know best," Bones muttered in his sleep as Kirk settled next to him. "Most stubborn man I know...."

"Look in the mirror next time," Kirk muttered back, and closed his eyes.


End file.
